PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Softball) – The Shawnee State softball team struggled to get runners past third base, scoring just one run in two games as No. 19 Campbellsville escaped Portsmouth with four-straight Mid-South Conference victories, taking two contests, 10-1 and 1-0, Saturday afternoon at Boone Coleman Field.
The Lady Tigers were impressive offensively in game one, scoring 10 runs over a four-inning stretch to put the game away in five frames.
Shawnee State opened the game with an early lead, as Hannah Dittoe (JR/Pickerington, Ohio) singled to the opposite field plating Kelsey Jenkins (SR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) after her leadoff double. This would be the last time the Bears would send a runner across the dish.
CU got on the board first in the second when Rebecca Miller lifted an RBI single to center, scoring Erin Benton – who led off the inning with a double down the left field line. The following inning, Campbellsville knocked in three more runs, capped by a two-run single from Miller.
In the fourth, Campbellsville pushed the lead to 5-1, as he visitors took and advantage of an error before a Brianna Scott double to left-center. One inning later, the Lady Tigers would break the game open for good.
Haley Szpila started the rally with a leadoff double, and Miller followed with a one-out blast over the left field fence. Adrean Jordan singled and back-to-back errors allowed another run to score. A third error brought Jordan to the plate, and Scott knocked in a run with the second out of the inning to extend the lead to nine.
Allie Chapman (SR/Chesapeake, Ohio) took the loss in the game, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and three walk. Chapman struck out one in five innings of work. Victoria Decker won in the circle for CU, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven.
Game two became a pitcher's duel as Alex Bowers (FR/New London, Ohio) and Neely Quint went toe-to-toe in the circle. Both started shut out the other squad for the opening four frames before CU scored the lone run in the fifth. The run came on a two-out rally, as back-to-back hits were followed by a Jacqueline Roof single to plate Jordan.
SSU got a hit in the fifth, but went down in order in the final two frames to secure the victory for Quint and complete the four-game sweep. Quint allowed just four hits and no runs, striking out three.
Bowers was nearly as impressive, scattering just five hits – three in a single frame – while walking just one and striking out four. The loss pushed the freshman to 1-6 on the season.
Shawnee State fell to 1-9 in Mid-South Conference play, having lost its last seven straight games. The Bears return to Mid-South action with a twinbill versus Georgetown on March 31.
